Evening mechanism for cotton-opening machines.



No. 630,087. Patented Aug. I, I899. J. W. NASMITH. EVENING MECHANISM FOR COTTON OPENING MACHINES.

(Application filed June 8 1898,] (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l I NIH WITNESSES. INVENTIEIR- Patented Aug. l, I899. J. W. NASMITH.

EVENING MECHANISM FOR COTTON OPENING MACHINES.

(Application filed June 8, 1898.)

(N0 Modalj 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN WILLIAM NASMITH, OF MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

EVENING MECHANISM FOR COTTON-OPENING MACHlNES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 630,087, dated August 1,1899.

Application filed June 8,1898. Serial No. 682,923. (No model.)

i which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to the feed-regulatin g machinery ordinarily applied to scutchingmachines.

It has for its object the provision of means whereby the speed of the feed-roller may be accurately and delicately differentiated,while at the same time the traverse of the belt on the feed-cones is facilitated and its frictional contact with the cones increased.

In carrying my said invention into effect I employ an epicyclic gear between the driven cone and the feed-roller, the construction of which is of such a nature that the work of driving the said roller is taken from the conebelt. Under my invention the function of the cone mechanism is simply that of a regulator, and the belt is relieved from the greater part of the strain usually existing.

In order that my invention may be the more easily understood and the more readily carried into effect, I have hereunto appended a sheet of drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the said mechanism. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the differential mechanism. Fig- 3 is a side elevation showing a modification. Fi g. 4 is an end elevation of the latter form.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

Reference for the present is made to Figs. 1 and 2. I drive the cone B, which in the drawings is shown placed in a vertical position, from the side shaft A by means of bevelwheels. I continue the side shaft A through the framing and fix upon its inner endaspurpinion C, which gears with a wheel D, compounded with a bevel-wheel D. A second shaft E is placed in the position shown, being suitably supported in fixings attached to the framing. 'On the shaft E a drum'F revolves freely, the said drum having a long sleeve or boss F, extending to the outer end of the shaft E. On the boss of the drum F the wheel D D revolves loosely, andthe pinion G is fixed on said sleeve or boss, which thus constitutes a shaft. This pinion is used as a change-pinion and can be readily removed a and replaced when desired. By means of a carrier-wheel II and the compound wheel I I the motion of G is com m unicated-to the wheel J, fixed on the axle of the feed-roller K. Instead of the spur-gearing for driving the roller I may use worm-gearing and a vertical shaft or any other suitable gearing. The drum F has fixed into it a stud L, on which a bevelpinion L freely rotates. I may use two pinions instead of one, if necessary, for the purpose of balancing the mechanism. The pinion L gears with the bevel-wheel D and also with a second pinion M, fixed on the shaft E. On the other end of E is fastened the Wheel N, gearing with a pinion O, fixed on the axle of the driven cone P. The gearing by which the belt R is moved on the cones B P is that which is ordinarily employed and is actuated in the usual way from the pedal-levers generally used.

The action of the above mechanism is as follows: The resistance to rotation of the feedroller K tends to keep the drum F stationary, while the rotation of the wheel D from the side shaft A would rotate the wheels L M if M were free to rotate. The speed of rotation of M is, however, regulated by the cone P through the wheels 0 N. The effect is that the drum F is slowly rotated at a velocity depending on the difference in the velocity of the wheels D and M, and its rotation is communicated to the feed-roller by the gearing G H I I. The velocity given to the feedroller obviously depends upon the relative speeds of the shaftsA and E and the proportions of the various wheels. The normal speed of the feed-roller varies usually from three to ten turns per minute, and the range of variation in its normal speed when set to rotate at any given velocity ordinarily involves a change in the velocity of the driven cone of about two to one. When the feedroller is driven directly from the cone, this variation has to be provided for by the difference in the diameters of the two ends of the cones; but when mechanism constructed according to my invention is employed the driven cone only requires to have its velocity varied in the proportion, approximately, of seven to six. I do not bind myself to this difference, because it isobvious that the proportion may be varied as desired. The effect of the diminution in the variable velocity of the cone is that I am enabled to similarly pro portion the two ends of the cones, so that their profile is flatter, and the belt has therefore a better grip on the cone-pulleys.

The advantages to be derived from the use of my invention are that I remove the work of driving'the feed-roller from the cone-belt and leave it only the work of regulating the velocity of the pinion M, the feed-roller being driven from the side shaft through the intermediate gearing. The belt is therefore more easily moved and the movements of the pedals are made much more readily and with less expenditure of power. This, combined with the reduction of the taper in the conepulleys giving a better grip to the strap, renders the Work of regulation lighter and more easily effected.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4 I modify the construction of the difierential gearing slightly without changing its principle of operation. Parts corresponding to those shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are designated by the same reference-letters. K is the feed-roller, on which is fixed the wheel J, connected by gears 11 I to the wheel G, which is fast on the shaft S. This shaft runs freelyin its bearings and has fixed or cast to its center a transversal boss S, which is bored out fora stud L, so that when the shaft S revolves the axis of the stud must revolve bodily with it in a plane normal to the shaft. The stud L is at liberty to rotate in its bearing and carries fixed on one end the bevelpinion L, gearing on either side with the bevels M and D, which are cast, respectively, with the bevel N and .the spur D. The gears MN and D D are both loose on the shaft S, which corresponds to the long boss or sleeve F referred to in connection with Figs. 1 and 2. The bevel N gears with a bevel O on the shaft of the driven cone P, and the spur D gears with a spur-pinion O, fixed on the shaft A. The latter rotates at a fixed regular speed and drives the cone 13 also at a fixed regular speed. The cones B and P are connected,as usual,by the cone-belt R, and the usual or any suitable devices are provided for shifting the belt. The speed of the shaft S, and therefore the speed of the feed-roller K, depends,as before,upon the difference in speed between the oppositely-revolving bevels M and D.

I claim 1. In a machine of the character specified, the combination with the cones B and P and the connecting-belt, of the driving-shaft A having gear connection with cone B and having pinion O, the pinion O on the shaft of the cone P, differential gearing including gears D and M, the former having gear connection with pinion C and the latter with pinion 0, an intermediate pinion meshing with gears D and M and mounted on a shaft extending through one of the gears meshing therewith and adapted to be carried about the axis of gears D and M under the influence of the difierential motion thereof, a feed-roller, and gearing connecting the latter with the support of the said intermediate pinion.

2. In a machine of the character specified, the combination with the cones B and P and the connecting-belt, of the driving-shaft A having gear connection with cone B and having pinion O, the pinion O on the shaft of cone P, the shaft E having gear N meshing with pinion O and having pinion M, the drum F loosely mounted on shaft E and having sleeve F, the gear-wheel D and pinion D mounted on the sleeve F, the pinion L meshing with pinions M and D and mounted on a suitable bearing carried by the drum F, the gear D and pinion 0 being arranged to inter mesh, a pinion G fixed on the sleeve of the drum, a feed-roller, and gearing connecting the latter with the pinion G, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have affixed m y signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN WILLIAM NASMITlI.

WVitnesses:

HERBERT GELDER, JOHN P. PARRISH. 

